MFA in Creative Writing

Our Mission

The Solstice Low-Residency MFA in Creative Writing Program at Pine Manor College offers concentrations in fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, comics & graphic narratives, and writing for children & young adults. Our mission is to help students reach their full potential as writers through a demanding curriculum that balances the workshop experience with the study of literary craft, criticism, and theory, and to prepare students for the rigors of being a professional writer after graduation. The Solstice Program provides a learning environment that fosters community and celebrates the individual, and ensures that all students have access to professional development opportunities— including an optional Applied Track in Pedagogy for those who wish to teach at the college level. Working with some of the best writers in the country, students of Pine Manor College's MFA program emerge with a deep, well-rounded knowledge of their art, a strategy for continuing the development of their creative vision, and a supportive circle of peers and mentors.

We are co-educational, inclusive, and affordable; our diverse and dedicated faculty is committed to helping students of all backgrounds achieve their writing goals.

What is a Low-Residency Program?

At Solstice, students are in residence on campus for ten days, twice a year, for a total of five residencies over two years. During the 10-day residencies, students and faculty gather on Pine Manor College’s lovely, wooded campus —a mere five miles from downtown Boston— and attend workshops, classes, panel discussions, and readings. At the end of the residency, each student is matched with a faculty mentor with whom he or she will work individually during the six-month semester to follow. Take a virtual tour of the PMC campus!

What are the benefits of the low-residency format?

Intensive, inspiring residencies in which students form a creative community and lifelong connections with fellow writers, including faculty members.

One-on-one communication with faculty mentors during the semester —because our student-faculty mentor ratio is never more than one to five, students receive highly focused attention from some of our nation’s best authors.

Independent learning, a flexible schedule, and autonomy. Solstice students are able to pursue their writing goals while balancing the demands of work and family —we believe that learning to do so is essential for any writer who wishes to establish a sustainable creative practice.

Our faculty

We believe that—in order to create a truly diverse environment—it is essential that program faculty members come from a variety of different backgrounds, and are themselves committed to achieving diversity of race, class, and creed in the classroom. It is our mission to create opportunities for ALL writers to pursue their creative goals.

Award-winning writers and generous teachers, our faculty members are dedicated to helping students find and develop their own, unique voices.

Our college

Pine Manor College has consistently ranked among the most diverse colleges in the country.

Set on 55 bucolic acres, PMC is just five miles from downtown Boston.

Our students

Currently, our students and graduates hail from 30 different states and Dakar, Senegal.

When we talk about diversity, we mean it in every sense of the word. Our students and faculty represent a wide variety of ethnic, social, and geographic backgrounds, creating a truly vibrant cross-section of America.

"...in addition to helping me discipline myself to write regularly, my MFA experience helped me learn my craft. The myth is writing can't be taught. I think it can be. I also think that if I hadn't gone to Solstice, I would have spun my wheels and continued to do what I was good at, and avoided grappling with those things I didn't do well. For this I am eternally grateful."